1979 Triumph Bonneville

Clear

I bought this bike recently right here on Ebay for considerably more money than I am asking. While it has potential, it is not in the condition the last owner represented to me. It has a few issues which would probably be no big deal to someone who is a good technician for these. I grew up riding old Triumphs, so I know how to ride and maintain them but I'm no mechanic. It started right off the truck with a few kicks, seems to run pretty well, but I can't seem to get the idle right enough for it to keep running without excess throttle. The previous owner had a spring to hold the choke part way open to cure this which seems pretty Mickey Mouse to me. THE GOOD: Runs and could run well if tuned right. The original paint is on the tank with oxidation in couple of spots. It has good tires. The speedo and tach seem to be dialed in. The seat is in good condition with the Triumph logo visible but faded. From a few feet away it looks complete and authentic. THE BAD: It has a goofy aftermarket handlebar which is like a cafe' racer when lowered and like a Yamaha V-Max when rotated up. The Bonneville was not made to ride like a Thruxton because the pegs are too far forward to be correct for a cafe' racer, so the goofy handlebar puts you in a pretty cramped position. The hubs sound like a coffee grinder, but got a little more free with some lube but still not perfect. The front brake works well (almost too well) and the back brake doesn't do jack squat. THE UGLY: I have the turn signals but they are removed. The headlight and brake light work but the tail light does not. When I got the motorcycle the chain guard was rubbing on the back tire but with a few sturdy tugs I think I fixed that (at least I "McGyvered" it well enough to ride). The last owner seems to be a guy that just flips bikes for a living and doesn't really care about anything as long as the picture is good. The title is clear with the previous owner's name. I'm not going to register it in my name because I just don't have time for the monkey motion for a bike I'll never ride. If I don't sell it here, I'll just part it out and try to recover some of my money. All in all, it would be ship shape quickly in the right hands but as it is right now I personally don't consider it roadworthy or safe. It looks authentic to me, sounds awesome when fired up, the clutch seems to work properly, etc. I am starting the bidding at a fraction of the almost 5K I paid, so someone who is relatively skilled with a few metric wrenches could get a great deal I suppose. Please don't hesitate to ask questions and I'll do my best to answer. Other than the starting bid there is no reserve so the high bidder will own this motorcycle. Thanks for checking out my auction. I don't care if it goes across the street or the other side of the world but the buyer is absolutely responsible for shipping. Please pay $500 deposit through PayPal immediately upon winning the auction. The balance can be cash or bank cashier's check. The motorcycle will be available for pick up as soon as payment is verified. I will assist as best I can in having it available for the transport. I'll add some better pics later today.